Pedestrian Visibility Research Articles

Effect of A-Pillar Blind Spots on a Driver's Pedestrian Visibility during Vehicle Turns at an Intersection.

This study aims to elucidate the impact of A-pillar blind spots on drivers' visibility of pedestrians during left and right turns at an intersection. An experiment was conducted using a sedan and a truck, with a professional test driver participating. The driver was instructed to maintain sole focus on a designated pedestrian model from the moment it was first sighted during each drive. The experimental results revealed how the blind spots caused by A-pillars occur and clarified the relationship between the pedestrian visible trajectory distance and specific vehicle windows. The results indicated that the shortest trajectory distance over which a pedestrian remained visible in the sedan was 17.6 m for a far-side pedestrian model during a right turn, where visibility was exclusively through the windshield. For the truck, this distance was 20.9 m for a near-side pedestrian model during a left turn, with visibility through the windshield of 9.5 m (45.5% of 20.9 m) and through the passenger-side window of 11.4 m (54.5% of 20.9 m). Additionally, we quantified the trajectory distances where pedestrians became invisible when the driver's view was obstructed by A-pillars. The sedan exhibited the highest invisibility rate at 46.1% for a far-side pedestrian model during a right turn, followed by the truck at 17.8% for the same model. These findings will be instrumental in developing new driving support systems aimed at enhancing visibility in situations where pedestrians are obscured by A-pillars.

Optimization of Traffic Safety for Motorists with Raised Intersection Design at Intersection in DKI Jakarta

Urbanization trends, coupled with the proliferation of motor vehicles, have led to escalating environmental challenges like congestion and pollution. Sustainable transportation systems are increasingly imperative to address these issues, necessitating pedestrian-friendly urban environments to promote sustainable mobility. However, escalating traffic density poses serious safety concerns for pedestrians, exacerbated by improper use of pedestrian facilities. Statistical data underscores the vulnerability of pedestrians, with a notable percentage of traffic fatalities attributed to pedestrian accidents. To mitigate these risks, enhancing pedestrian safety through various measures, including raised crosswalks, has garnered attention. Raised crosswalks offer promising potential to improve pedestrian safety by influencing driver behavior and enhancing pedestrian visibility. This research aims to explore the impact of raised crosswalks on traffic safety in Indonesian urban environments. Through quantitative analysis and video observation, the study evaluates the effectiveness of raised crosswalks in enhancing safety and traffic compliance at intersections. The findings reveal varying severity levels of near-miss accidents, suggesting targeted risk mitigation strategies. Regression analysis indicates a substantial reduction in vehicle speed post-implementation, although other influencing factors persist. Moreover, Cost-Benefit Analysis underscores the financial viability of pedestrian crossing enhancements, emphasizing the potential for significant gains. Ultimately, this research contributes empirical insights to inform policy formulation and infrastructure design, facilitating safer and more sustainable pedestrian environments in Indonesian urban areas.

Functional performance of low-cost electronic yarn for E-textiles

The current work presents and discusses the design and performance qualities of braided electronic yarns for woven textiles to produce red light-intensity effects. The design process involves a simple encapsulation process with adhesive tape and a heat-shrinkable tube to secure stainless-steel conductive threads (SS-CTs) to the solder pads of light-emitting diodes. These are arranged in a series against two SS-CTs to provide single positive and negative terminals at both ends. Findings from the infrared images show that the heat distribution and dissipation of the stainless-steel conductive threads are insignificant in affecting the wear comfort of the electronic textiles on the human body. The washing test shows the robust nature of the braided electronic yarns even after 20 cycles of being subjected to high agitation and mechanical stress. A proof of concept illustrates the effectiveness of the study results, which calls on further research work to enhance the durability and flexibility of the braided electronic yarns and electronic textiles to ensure a higher level of wear comfort. These braided electronic yarns would find end applications for nighttime visibility of pedestrians, a situation that would improve the recognition of drivers for reduced collision.Graphical abstractA simple low-cost process to manufacture electronic yarns (e-yarns) starts by embedding light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in series on two stainless-steel conductive threads (SS-CTs) through encapsulation in a heat-shrinkable tube (HST), and insulating one side of the SS-CT, then braided by using 8-core retroreflective threads that are then woven to form an electronic textile (e-textile). The braided e-yarns and e-textiles when washed exhibit good performance properties for clothing that would be interactive to enhance the nighttime visibility of pedestrians.Impact statementElectronic textiles otherwise known as e-textiles have been the subject of scholarly attention in recent years due to their performance properties and wide areas of application for entertainment, monitoring, and safety purposes. The use of appropriate electronic yarns (e-yarns) plays a key role in connectivity and provides the necessary feedback when applied to a textile material. E-yarns are now replacing a few modern electronic textiles (e-textiles) that use rigid copper wires commonly applied in electronic circuits for e-textiles and improve the wear comfort of the garment. The integration of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into conductive threads to form electronic yarns for textile material can be applied not only for entertainment purposes but also as a safety feature for pedestrians. The use of appropriate components is necessary to ensure and maintain the textile quality and properties for effective wearability. Herein, an e-yarn fabricated with stainless-steel conductive threads and LEDs for e-textiles is presented. As part of ongoing research work to develop smart interactive clothing to increase the nighttime visibility of pedestrians, this work discusses the design and performance qualities of braided e-yarns for woven textiles. The success of these low-cost, flexible, and strong (high wash durability) braided e-yarns facilitates their integration into woven fabrics for smart clothing to enhance the visibility and therefore safety of pedestrians.

Environmental measures to improve pedestrian safety in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

This scoping study aims to identify environmental road safety measures implemented in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to reduce pedestrian injuries from collisions with motor vehicles. This review followed Arksey and O'Malley's approach and reported results using the PRISMA-SCR 2018 checklist. A literature review was conducted in Medline, Google Scholar, and the Transport Research International Documentation database using keyword-derived medical subject heading terms. A total of 14 articles met the pre-established inclusion criteria and were analyzed using a data extraction matrix. The findings were categorized methodically into three prominent themes: (1) methods for reducing pedestrian exposure, (2) traffic calming strategies, and (3) measures for enhancing pedestrian visibility. Traffic calming strategies, including vehicular speed reduction, roadway contraction, and vertical and horizontal diversionary tactics, emerged as the most effective interventions for reducing pedestrian injuries within LMICs. Conversely, interventions geared towards minimizing pedestrian exposure, such as zebra crossings, crosswalks controlled by traffic signals, underpasses, or overpasses, often produced minimal effects, and occasionally exacerbated the risk of pedestrian accidents. Lack of pedestrian visibility due to density of street vendors and parked vehicles was associated with a higher risk of injuries, while billboards impaired drivers' attention and increased the likelihood of collisions with pedestrians. In LMICs, the effectiveness of environmental measures in reducing vehicle-pedestrian crashes varies widely. In the face of resource constraints, implementing interventions for pedestrian safety in LMICs necessitates careful prioritization and consideration of the local context.

ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING DRIVING IN THE DARK TIME OF DAY

An analysis of factors affecting road traffic safety from the point of view of driving a car in the dark was carried out, in particular, the technical condition of the car, tinting of the windows, lighting of the streets (roads), speed of movement, driver fatigue. It has been established that a significant number of factors require significantly greater concentration and esponsibility from drivers. Driving a car in the dark requires special knowledge, skills and attention. The technical condition of vehicles becomes a number of priority problems. Vehicle malfunctions that are not detected in time or not eliminated increase the likelihood of a Road Traffic Accident. The cause of a Road Traffic Accident, especially in the dark period of the day, may be insufficient visibility of the road situation by the driver, which is caused by the violation of the requirements for tinting the glass in the car. The driver will not be able to fully assess everything that happens on the road at night both in conditions of insufficient visibility and in the presence of bad weather conditions. At the same time, proper street lighting can help reduce the risk of road traffic accidents by improving pedestrian visibility, reducing the likelihood of accidents and providing safer road conditions for both drivers and pedestrians. Speeding and incorrect selection of the speed regime in specific traffic conditions is one of the main factors affecting both the number and severity of Road Traffic Accidents. Another reason for the occurrence of a Road Transport Accident may be the driver’s fatigue, which reduces his concentration and ability to drive safely.

Investigating Racial and Poverty-Level Disparities Associated with Pedestrian Nighttime Crashes

Recently, there has been a large increase in fatal pedestrian crashes that occur at night in the United States of America. In the state of Michigan, for the past 11 years (2011–2021), 76% of all fatal pedestrian crashes occurred at night. With the Toward Zero Death national strategy, identifying the presence of disparities by population characteristics in pedestrian nighttime crashes will enable better allocation of resources to the overrepresented segments of the population and enable the implementation of focused countermeasures to improve the safety of everyone. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the racial and poverty status disparities associated with pedestrian nighttime crashes in Michigan. Pedestrian nighttime crashes from 2011 to 2021 were aggregated at a census tract level. Demographic, socioeconomic, and built environment data were included at a census tract level. The negative binomial model was used to identify whether the racial makeup and economic status of census tracts are significantly associated with the increase in pedestrian nighttime crashes. Results show that census tracts where the majority of people are Black are associated with a 20% increase in pedestrian nighttime crashes. Moreover, poor tracts are associated with a 40% increase in pedestrian nighttime crashes. It was revealed that crashes recorded by police officers as “dark unlighted” are concentrated more in poor census tracks. Also, dark unlighted crashes were more concentrated in a census tract where a majority of the residents identify as Black compared with the majority of residents who identify as White. The use of LED lighting is recommended to improve pedestrian visibility at night.

Assessment of the visibility of unprotected road users in pedestrian crossing

The article presents selected results of research on improving pedestrian traffic safety. Based on annually-updated accident statistics made available by the police, as well as the new pedestrian traffic regulations in force, detailed work was undertaken to assess the level of visibility of pedestrians by drivers in pedestrian crossing areas. The research was carried out by analyzing several characteristic cases of pedestrian crossings occurring in Poland, in which there was only dedicated lighting for crossings, only street lighting, and a variant of coexistence of both of the above lighting solutions. Illuminance measurements were made in the horizontal and vertical planes of pedestrian crossings, and the results were confronted with the relevant guidelines. The next step involved a complementary measurement of the luminance distribution of the vertical plane containing the pedestrian and a portion of the sub- and super-horizontal background. Visibility pedestrians was considered in positive and negative contrast variants, and was then related to the obtained results of the illumination distribution. The analysis of the results of the study indicated the possibility of limited visibility of pedestrians at the crossings despite the satisfactory results obtained from measurements of the illuminance distribution within the crossings.

Student Scientific Club in Research for Road Safety

Aim: Presentation of the potential of the student scientific club for road safety in Poland. Discuss the extent to which the student scientific club in its research activities supports and implements the concepts of identifying road safety risks and submits proposals for improving its condition and related processes. Project and methods: In the research on the visibility of vulnerable traffic participants, a theoretical method – NUR threat analysis – was used to define the research problem.A research problem was formulated in the form of a question: to what extent and under what conditions does NUR visibility affect their safety? Visibility tests were conducted in real conditions after dusk. The following recording devices were used to study the movement parameters of modern means of transportation (bicycles and electric scooters): a Gopro camera, a Sony IV RX10 camera (which realizes 4D recording), a drone with a vision camera, and a Brake Tester retarder. Results: The study of the visibility of vulnerable traffic participants from the perspective of the driver presents parameters for the visibility of pedestrians and cyclists in conditions after dusk. Participants (students) in the visibility study were made aware of the issue of visibility, and therefore the safety of the traffic participant in the situation of illuminated vehicle (bicycle) and without lighting, as well as a pedestrian on the road without a reflective element. They formulated the conclusion that seeing does not mean being seen.The result of the single-track motion tests was that the Brake Tester Model LWS -2/MC retarder, after the performance test, does not provide a measurement of the single-track motion parameters. This is an important practical finding from the research, as vehicle inspection stations are equipped with this device. The acceleration and deceleration values of the bicycle and electric scooter were determined Conclusions: The research activities of the students of the scientific club in question not only make them aware of the risk factors of becoming a victim of an accident as a vulnerable traffic participant, but also allow them to deepen their knowledge, broaden their cognitive perspectives and supplement their skills through practical activities, for example, in the area of NUR visibility determinants or the characteristics of powered vehicles. The transfer of the results of the conducted research is carried out through the participation of students in seminars and scientific conferences, as well as in journalistic activities. Keywords: scientific club, vulnerable road user, education

Modeling effects of roadway lighting photometric criteria on nighttime pedestrian crashes on roadway segments

Introduction: Nighttime crashes account for 74% of pedestrian fatalities in the United States, and reduced visibility is a significant cause of nighttime pedestrian crashes. Maintaining sufficient and uniform roadway lighting is an effective countermeasure to improve pedestrian visibility and prevent nighttime pedestrian crashes and injuries. Previous studies have not quantified the safety effects of roadway photometric patterns (i.e., average lighting level and uniformity) on nighttime pedestrian crashes on roadway segments. Method: This study investigated the association between two roadway photometric criteria (horizontal illuminance mean representing average lighting level and horizontal illuminance standard deviation representing lighting uniformity) and nighttime pedestrian crash occurrence in Florida roadway segments. The matched case-control method was used to decouple the confounding effects between the illuminance mean and standard deviation. Statistically-significant crash modification factors (CMFs) were developed to quantify the safety effects of the mean and standard deviation of horizontal illuminance on nighttime pedestrian crashes. Results: The results show that if the average lighting level on a roadway segment is increased from a low illuminance mean (<0.2 foot-candle [fc]) to a medium illuminance mean [0.2 fc, 0.5 fc], a medium–high illuminance mean (0.5 fc, 1.0 fc], and a high illuminance mean (>1.0 fc), the relative likelihood of nighttime pedestrian crashes on midblock segments in Florida tends to be reduced by 77.5% (CMF = 0.225), 81.2% (CMF = 0.188), and 85.5% (CMF = 0.145), respectively. Practical Applications: A poor uniformity (illuminance standard deviation ≥ 0.52 fc) is likely to increase the relative likelihood of nighttime pedestrian crashes on midblock segments in Florida by 80.3% (CMF = 1.803) compared to good uniformity (illuminance standard deviation < 0.52 fc).

Visual Comfort at the Road Lighting on the Border Line

Today, the most important factor in terms of border security is the safe observation of the officers at the border police stations and increasing the visibility of those who may cross without permission. Road lighting along the border is one of the most important physical parameters in preventing unauthorized crossings. If there is a large number of people crossing a border and this crossing cannot be stopped, states create a physical barrier by building a wall of concrete blocks on this border. However, this limit needs to be protected and observed. For this purpose, road and lighting installations are installed on the said country border for security purposes. The main purpose of the road lighting extending along the border is to increase the visibility of pedestrians and other objects and to prevent unauthorized passages safely by the security guards who patrol this area. Therefore, for good border road lighting, vision conditions should be improved, taking into account safety needs. Correctly provided border road lighting is a deterrent in preventing unauthorized border violations. Optimum road lighting along the border will also make the border guards working in this environment feel safe. In this study, according to the road lighting criteria specified by the International Commission on Lighting (CIE), the visual conditions on the road along the border were analyzed and solutions for lighting were presented.

Development and performance of jacquard woven retro-reflective textiles with African design patterns

Retro-reflective materials are important for safety purposes, such as enhancing the visibility of pedestrians at night when they wear garments with reflective materials and therefore reducing pedestrian fatalities. This has challenged different manufacturers to produce effective materials that provide the best retro-reflection. Most of these materials are applied as stripes on clothing, but can also extend to artisans using reflective yarns in their creations. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research and the synthesis of reflective yarns and African design patterns (due to its symbolic value for the African people) to create effective textiles that have the necessary properties for visibility at night. In this research work, a new approach is adopted by using a design process that combines jacquard weaving technology, reflective threads and African design patterns to produce retro-reflective textiles. The subsequent reflective effects captured in a darkroom show the retro-reflective ability of the samples. The testing carried out by using the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics shows that the total hand value (THV) of the samples makes them suitable for men’s winter dress shirts and women’s thin winter dresses (with positive values) but not suitable for the summer garment (with negative values) counterparts respectively. This new approach might extend the ideation to produce retro-reflective textiles that can be applied for many different uses.

Lighting Strategies to Increase Nighttime Pedestrian Visibility at Midblock Crosswalks

In the last decade, pedestrian fatalities at night, especially at midblock locations, have been increasing at an alarming rate. Lighting is an effective countermeasure in reducing nighttime crashes. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of crosswalk lighting on pedestrian visibility at midblock locations. There is an existing need to develop lighting designs that increase pedestrian visibility. Further, the safety effects of lighting have never been directly compared to other pedestrian-crossing treatments (such as flashing signs, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), etc.). Thus, in order to make effective recommendations for increasing nighttime pedestrian visibility, it is important to compare the visibility benefits of crosswalk lighting designs with and without pedestrian-crossing treatments. This study evaluated the visual performance of five midblock crosswalk lighting designs along with two pedestrian safety countermeasures at three light levels on a realistic midblock crosswalk. Visual performance was measured by calculating the distance at which the participants could detect a child-sized mannequin under the evaluated conditions. The results showed that midblock crosswalks should be illuminated to an average vertical illuminance of 10 lux to ensure optimal pedestrian visibility. Lighting designs that render the pedestrian in positive contrast (area in front of the crosswalk is illuminated) are recommended to increase pedestrian visibility. It is also recommended that pedestrian-crossing treatments, such as RRFBs and flashing signs, should be used with lighting to increase nighttime visibility.

Experimental study of movement characteristics for different walking postures in a narrow channel

In the event of a fire, the smoke produced by the fire will not only affect the visibility of pedestrians but also change the pedestrians’ walking posture. The pedestrians’ motion characteristics of stoop walking have not been systematically studied in pedestrian evacuation dynamics. Therefore, a series of single-file movement experiments under controlled laboratory conditions were performed by a transparent protective net which is used to limit the pedestrians’ height to change the walking posture. The probability density distribution of density and speed, the fundamental diagram, headway-speed relation and the lateral sway will be analyzed. The maximum flow rate of pedestrians in stoop walking is 26% lower than that of normal walking in speed-flow relation. Three states (free regime, weakly constrained regime, and strongly constrained regime) can be observed in the relationship between headway and speed, the free speed of pedestrians follows a Gaussian distribution. In addition to discussion of the longitudinal motion characteristics, lateral movement characteristics of the pedestrian will further be analyzed. The study found that the average lateral sway of normal walking is greater than that of stoop walking. The results of this study provide valuable information for the effects of different walking postures and help to develop precise models about different walking postures, which can finally contribute to the design of related pedestrian facilities.

Visual impact assessment of urban developments around heritage landmarks using ULVIA method: (The case of Ark-e-Alishah monument in Tabriz)

Urban intensification and erection of high-rise buildings can affect the visibility of urban landmarks and pedestrians’ viewshed toward important monuments. Current 2D and 3D Isovist techniques use static rather than dynamic and cumulative view sheds to analyze visibility. The purpose of this research is to develop a method called ULVIA 1 to assess the average visibility degree of urban landmarks in urban design process. Several factors such as observer and environmental characteristics as well as the concept of cumulative viewshed (using Nurbs data and ray casting in Grasshopper) have been considered to develop this method. Ark-e-Alishah Mosque in Tabriz was selected as a case study and three alternative 3D urban models were reproduced based on data and aerial photos of the monument and its urban context in 2003, 2020 and a proposed model. The ULVIA is executed in sequential steps. The findings reveal that the 2003 urban fabric creates visibility with normal intensity and distribution in all paths, the 2020 option does not have this balance, and the difference between riding and pedestrian mode is higher. The final proposed alternative has a higher visibility intensity and better distribution in both pedestrian and rider modes than other alternatives and therefore UlVIA has the potential to be integrated into urban design process to assess various development alternatives to achieve the best results in terms of historical landmarks’ visibility from surrounding environments.

Relationship of pedestrian crash types and passenger vehicle types

Introduction: This is the first known study that examines the association between common pedestrian crash types and passenger vehicle types. Method: The analysis included single-vehicle, single-pedestrian crashes from two data sets: North Carolina state crash data and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). We performed separate multinomial logistic regression analyses of major pedestrian crash types occurring at or near intersections and at nonintersections. Results: At or near intersections, minivans, large vans, pickups, and SUVs (collectively known as light truck vehicles, or LTVs) were more likely than cars to be involved in crossing-roadway–vehicle-turning-left crashes versus crossing-roadway–vehicle-not-turning crashes. LTVs were also more likely involved in fatal crossing-roadway–vehicle-turning-right crashes at or near intersections versus crossing-roadway–vehicle-not-turning crashes when compared with cars. At nonintersections, LTVs were associated with increased odds of walking-along-roadway crashes relative to crossing-roadway–vehicle-not-turning crashes when compared with cars. Conclusions: LTVs were more likely to be involved in certain pedestrian crash types, implying a potentially problematic visibility of pedestrians near the front corners of these vehicles. Practical applications: More research is needed to examine A-pillar blind zones by vehicle type. If it is found that LTVs have larger blind zones, automakers should consider ways to design the A-pillars of these vehicles to minimize blind zones while maintaining pillar strength. Doing this could improve pedestrian safety around these increasingly popular larger vehicles.

Systemic Opportunities to Improve Older Pedestrian Safety: Merging Crash Data Analysis and a Stakeholder Workshop

This paper presents a framework for improving older pedestrian safety in regard to serious (fatal and incapacitating) crashes, using Oregon as a case study. On review of state and federal practices pertaining to older pedestrian safety, 4 years of crash data identified 112 older (≥65 years) pedestrian serious injury crashes. These data were explored for factors that might be addressed systemically using two methods. First, raw frequencies in the crash data were assessed to determine trends and crash-related factors that are overrepresented. Second, a random forest analysis was conducted to determine important variables for predicting older pedestrian serious injury crashes. Using these crash-related factors, a workshop was held with 18 local stakeholders and experts. As part of the workshop, key crash trends, potential causations, and potential countermeasures by priority of implementation were determined based on perspectives from workshop participants. Three key systemic solutions were identified to improve older pedestrian safety, including improving pedestrian visibility and illumination, implementing treatments for left turns, and shortening pedestrian crossing distances across the state. The framework presented in the current study could be adopted by other agencies to systemically address a wide variety of safety concerns.

Double Mask R-CNN for Pedestrian Detection in a Crowd

Aiming at the difficulty of feature extraction and the limitation of NMS (nonmaximum suppression) in crowded pedestrian detection, a new detection network named Double Mask R-CNN based on Mask R-CNN with FPN (Feature Pyramid Network) is proposed in this article. The algorithm has two improvements: firstly, we add a semantic segmentation branch on the FPN to strengthen the feature extraction of crowded pedestrians; secondly, we design a rule to estimate the pedestrian visibility of detected image according to the human keypoints information, and this rule can cover binary mask on the image whose pedestrian visibility is less than a certain threshold. Then we input the masked image into the network to locate occluded pedestrians. Experimental results on the CrowdHuman dataset show that the log-average miss rate (MR) of Double Mask R-CNN is 13, 12% lower than the best results of other mainstream networks. Similar improvements on WiderPerson dataset are also achieved by the Double Mask R-CNN.

Driving behavior at midblock crosswalks with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons: Hidden Markov model approach using naturalistic data

Pedestrian fatalities have increased in the U.S. with the largest increase being observed on urban arterials and away from intersections. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) has been widely implemented as a safety countermeasure to improve driver awareness and visibility of pedestrians, especially for midblock crosswalks. Studies show that drivers are more likely to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks with an RRFB. These studies are often based on a binary outcome of whether or not drivers yield to pedestrians. Nevertheless, it is also important to consider the drivers’ deceleration behavior as a dynamic process at these crosswalks and the impact of pedestrians being present or not. Understanding this dynamic behavior and the related circumstances can provide information on the design of alerting systems that help drivers make more appropriate decisions at these crosswalks to avoid a vehicle–pedestrian crash. This study examined this research topic using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) and data from a naturalistic study. More specifically, four HMMs were applied to the naturalistic brake and jerk data from the Safety Pilot Model Deployment (SPMD) program given drivers’ intention to slow down, the RRFB activation status, and the presence of pedestrians. The time-based data sequence was converted to distance-based through a moving window to enhance result comparison and interpretation. Grid-search was used to select the best moving window parameters and the optimal number of hidden states. This study confirmed the high compliance at an activated RRFB when pedestrians were present. Even without pedestrians, one in five traversals showed drivers slowing down to less than 8.94 m/s (20 mph) within 35 m of the crosswalk. Model results further indicate that drivers started braking as far back as 180 m before the crosswalk and stopped braking from 70 m before the crosswalk at an activated RRFB without pedestrians. When there were pedestrians, drivers would start braking 20 to 30 m later but would brake more firmly and for longer. Finally, drivers were not likely to brake or decelerate when RRFB was off and no pedestrians were present.

How do pedestrians respond to adaptive headlamp systems in vehicles? A road-crossing study in an immersive virtual environment

Three-fourths of pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. occur in the dark (National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 2020). Adaptive Headlight Systems (AHS) offer the potential to address this problem by improving the visibility of pedestrians for drivers and alerting pedestrians to approaching vehicles. The goal of this study was to investigate how pedestrians respond to different types of AHS. We conducted a mixed factor experiment with 106 college-age adults using a large-screen pedestrian simulator. The task for participants was to cross a stream of continuous traffic without colliding with a vehicle. There were four AHS treatment conditions that differed in the color (white or red) and timing of an icon projected on the roadway in front the participant as an AHS vehicle approached. Participants in the treatment conditions encountered a mix of AHS and non-AHS vehicles. There was also a control condition in which participants encountered only non-AHS vehicles. We found that the color and the timing of the icon projected on the roadway influenced the size of the gaps crossed. Participants in the red icon with early onset condition chose the largest gaps for crossing. An unexpected outcome was that participants in the AHS treatment conditions chose larger gaps even when crossing in front of non-AHS vehicles, suggesting that experiences with AHS vehicles generalized to non-AHS vehicles. We conclude that AHS can have a significant, positive impact on pedestrian road-crossing safety.

Gaze behavior during pedestrian interactions in a community environment: a real-world perspective.

Locomotor adaptations, as required for community walking, rely heavily on the sense of vision. Little is known, however, about gaze behavior during pedestrian interactions while ambulating in the community. Our objective was to characterize gaze behavior while walking in a community environment and interacting with pedestrians of different locations and directions. Twelve healthy young individuals were assessed as they walked in a shopping mall from a pre-set location to a goal located 20m ahead. Eye movements were recorded with a binocular eye-tracker and temporal distance factors were assessed using wearable sensors from a full-body motion capture system. Participants exhibited more numerous and longer gaze episodes on pedestrians (GEP) that were walking in the same direction as themselves vs. those that were in the opposite direction. The relative durations of GEPs, however, showed no significant differences between pedestrians walking in the same vs. opposite direction. Longer durations of GEPs were also observed for centrally located pedestrians compared to those located on either side, but this was the case only for pedestrians that were walking in the same direction as participants. In addition, pedestrians in the centre, and even more so those on the right, were fixated at farther distances compared to those on the left. Results indicate that healthy young individuals modulate their gaze behavior as a function of the location and direction of pedestrians when ambulating in a community environment. The observed modulation is interpreted as being caused by an interplay between collision risk, pedestrian visibility, presence of leaders and social conventions (right-sided circulation). Present results also establish baseline measures for the quantification of defective visuomotor strategies in individuals with mobility disorders.